A breathing technique for anxiety relief: Bhramari Pranayama 🐝

This is one of my favorite practices when I’m feeling anxious or overwhelmed. And as someone with anxiety, I have a whole toolkit!

Bharmar means “bee” and in this practice, you imitate the same deep, low-pitched humming sound of a bee. This sound vibration creates a soothing effect on the mind and nervous system. After practicing, I always feel much more calm and clear. The humming stimulates the vagus nerve which helps to switch back to the parasympathetic nervous system, the rest-digest-restore function of the nervous system, and promotes a sense of feeling safe and relaxed.

In this practice, since the exhales are longer than the inhales, this too, activates the parasympathetic nervous system. The humming also washes out any mental thoughts so that the mind can start to quiet down. This can be a helpful practice to do before meditation if you’re having a lot of thoughts or experiencing busyness of the mind.

When you practice with Shanmukhi Mudra (as pictured above), fingers over the eyes and face, this further helps in sense withdrawal (Pratyhara) and in reducing sensory stimulus. Moving from being overstimulated to inner peace.

The vibrations of the humming also increase air circulation and the production of Nitric Oxide - which is an essential molecule required for overall health, as shared by my teacher Juliana Mitchell, Nitric Oxide helps promote healing.

In The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, it said that om designates Īśvara (God) and the repetition and contemplation of om comes to the realization of inner consciousness and freedom of all obstacles. When chanting om, there is a humming quality, and I love that connection.

Here is how to practice:

1. Sit in a comfortable seated position with length through the spine. Gently close your eyes.

2. There are a few options for how to place your hands on your face —

   • Place your index fingers on your ears, on the fleshy part of the cartilage to gently close the ears.

   • The other way is to practice Shanmukhi Mudra (as pictured above). Place thumbs on the fleshy part of the cartilage to gently close the ears and fingers wrap lightly onto the face with middle fingers over the eyelids.

3. Take a full breath in through the nose, and as you breathe out, make a humming sound like a bee. Feel the vibrations into your face, throat, and chest.

4. Inhale again, and continue the same pattern four to eight times. I typically practice 8-14 rounds!

5. After these rounds, sit in some stillness and silence with the eyes closed or the gaze down. Observe the sensations in the body and the spaciousness within.

   Here is a video for a visual representation.

   Try these out and let me know how it goes! Please also share with a fellow being in need of anxiety relief and healing.